Fallen firefighter honored at Heroes Breakfast

EAST WHITELAND — The memory of a fallen West Chester firefighter was honored Wednesday morning at the Red Cross’s second annual Chester County Heroes Breakfast at the Desmond Hotel.

The early morning event, presented by the Chester County Leadership Council, was held in memory of late Good Will Fire Company captain Chris “Goodie” Good, who died in November shortly after battling a house fire in West Goshen.

Good, who was 36 at the time of his death, was among a team of firefighters that battled a fierce blaze that day. He died away shortly after the fire, and his passing was declared a line-of-duty death.

Good’s widow, Jessica, accepted the award on her late husband’s behalf Wednesday. She remembered him as a man fiercely dedicated to the fire service, his family, and his friends. His greatest passion, she said, was teaching other young firefighters all he knew about the fire service.

“I have thought ‘what would Chris say if he was here to accept this award himself?’ This was not much help because I don’t think Chris would understand why he was being honored this way,” she said. “Chris didn’t join the fire service for the fame or recognition of saving someone’s life, home, or family pet. From the time Chris was a little boy watching his uncles volunteer at the Kimberton Fire Company and going to fire calls in the backseat of his dad’s car, he knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.”

In addition to receiving the 2013 Chester County Heroes Award, Jessica Good was also presented with memorial citations from state Senator Andrew E. Dinniman and West Chester Mayor Carolyn Comitta. Comitta also present Jessica Good with a memorial key to the Borough of West Chester.

Good was fondly remembered for his love of firefighting, which came second only the love he had for his family. Jessica said she worried about him when they first got together, but said those fears began to dissipate when she learned more about his dedication to training.

“In the beginning I worried, a lot, but as time went on I realized Chris spent his whole life learning as much as he could about the fire service and being the best fireman,” she said. “He made sure he shared what he learned with everyone around him so they could be the best, but most importantly, so everyone could be safe when they went home at the end of the day. He knew how important it was to train the younger guys at the firehouse, dedicating his life unselfishly to teaching and training, so he could share the passion that he was led to as a young boy.”

In addition to Jessica, Good left behind three young children. The young widow said it was difficult knowing her kids will grow up without their father, but she takes solace in the love the family receives from Good’s firefighter family.

“I shared my life with Chris for six short years, and while I wish it could have been the forever that we planned, I am thankful for our three beautiful children that I can look at every day and see him in them,” she said.“While it makes me sad to know that they won’t get to know just how amazing their daddy was firsthand, I do get comfort from the stories that they will be told by all who knew him.”

Edward Mann, the Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner, praised the Red Cross, the Chester County Leadership Council, and the event’s sponsors for organizing an event to recognize the sacrifice of the fallen firefighter.

“This does not happen on a very regular basis across the commonwealth, there are not a lot of organizations that take the time to recognize someone who dies in the line of duty in our business,” Mann said. “I wish this occurred more often across the commonwealth, when someone outside the fire service takes the time to recognize someone who has fallen in the line of duty.”

Mann also praised Chester County’s Department of Emergency Services for immediately coming to the aid of fallen firefighter’s family and said that other counties in the state often do not step up the way Chester County officials did.

“I think those of you who live in Chester County, and those of you who are emergency responders in Chester County, need to understand that you’ve got a great team of people assembled in the county and the emergency services department.”